Friday, May 20, at 5 p.m. Briones Karate will be joined by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce to hold a ribbon cutting for its new dojo, located at 3642 Thornton Ave. in the Thornton Plaza.

After being displaced from their former location on Peralta Blvd. by a water main break last October, Briones Karate had been holding classes in a temporary location, The Golden Peacock.

"We are grateful to Ravi and his staff at The Golden Peacock Banquet and Bistro for accommodating us. They are very kind and have great food! But, we really needed to get back into a regular studio setting," said Sifu George Briones, owner and head instructor of the school.

The school holds classes Monday through Friday and is working on a new schedule to incorporate a summer camp program, Saturday classes and special seminars. The students range in age from four to 45, and one of the new programs, "Mommy & Me" allows mothers to participate with their "Tiny Tigers."

"It's important to promote a family atmosphere, and we have a few families that work out together. It's great to see the interaction between the kids and their parents instead of being parked in front of a video game or a computer," Briones mentioned.

Briones Karate is currently enrolling new students and is offering a two week free trial period. Call (510) 794-8252 for more details or visit them on the web at www.brioneskajukenbokarate.com